Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
It seems like everywhere you turn there is a story about the how bad the deficit is and how the government must make drastic cuts to save the economy and reduce the deficit. The Tea Party is clinging to their demands for $100 Billion in budget cuts or they say they will shut down the government. “Rep. Mike Pence (R) of Indiana, a tea party favorite in Congress, urged taking a hard-line on budget cuts – and if that meant a shutdown, then so be it. “If liberals in the Senate would rather play political games and shut down the government instead of making a small down payment on fiscal discipline and reform, I say, shut it down,” Congressman Pence said, eliciting a chant of “Cut or shut! Cut or shut!” from the crowd. Republicans worried about blame for a shutdown might not be so happy with Pence for that.” Christian Science Monitor
It is interesting to note that cuts in the bloated defense budget were not included in the demands made by the Republicans and Tea party faithful. They want to cut the programs that seem to do the most good for the poor and the middle class, all the while allowing the wealthy and corporations to get tax breaks and tax credits. We have seen the stories detailing so many of the big corporations that paid little or no federal tax. “Last week, the New York Times reported that General Electric (GE), the world’s largest corporation paid nothing in federal corporate income taxes in 2010. In fact, the company made over $14 billion in profits and actually received a $3.2 billion tax benefit.” Think Progress
That is an amazing statistic. GE not only paid no federal taxes, they actually got billions in tax credits! That means that all of those nurses, and firemen and state workers who were in danger of losing their jobs, paying more in insurance premiums and losing their collective bargaining rights in states across the union because of the dire economic situation in their states, actually paid more taxes to the Federal Government than the Third largest corporation in the world! Why aren’t the Tea Party faithful going after the GE’s of the world to share in the sacrifice?
The Tea Party is not satisfied with the large cuts that have been already made and those offered by the Democrats, they simply want to tear away at the heart of the programs that help you and I. They want to end all funding to Planned Parenthood that would actually put poor women in the street looking for serious health care programs because they are also demanding to defund The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as they refer to it as. “With a hard deadline looming, talks to prevent a government shutdown have been stymied for a week because Tea Party members of the House have demanded everything: not just some of their cuts but almost all of them, and not just a reduction in spending but a reduction only in the programs they don’t like. Many are insisting Democrats also agree to nonbudgetary riders, like ending the financing of Planned Parenthood or health care reform. “ New York Times
Why does the Tea Party want to attack the programs that help the most people? Why doesn’t the Tea Party include the Defense budget in its budget cut plans? Why does the Tea Party not want to force our largest corporations to pay their fair share of Federal taxes? I submit that the Tea Party is only concerned about helping themselves. Just who makes up the Tea Party? According to one poll, the majority of the Tea Party is comprised of white, male, wealthy Republicans. “The 18 percent of Americans who identify themselves as Tea Party supporters tend to be Republican, white, male, married and older than 45. They hold more conservative views on a range of issues than Republicans generally. They are also more likely to describe themselves as “very conservative” and President Obama as “very liberal.” And while most Republicans say they are “dissatisfied” with Washington, Tea Party supporters are more likely to classify themselves as “angry.” ‘ New York Times
If I read this poll correctly, the Tea Party hates Obama and they think black people and poor people are getting all of the breaks from the government. They also want to end wasteful government spending, but most of them want to keep “government’s big hands” off of their Medicare and Social Security! In other words, I want mine, but the hell with everyone else! These guys might be well-educated, but they must not be well read if they think the poor and minorities are getting all of the “big breaks” from the Federal government. Maybe they need to stop listening to intelligent politicians like Michele Bachmann and Rand Paul and start reading Prof. Turley’s blog! What is your take?
Respectfully submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
Although I must say Commanders Palace doesn’t suck either.
Just looked at the menu, Buddha. You can’t beat Italian Creole.
Smom,
Since you’re going to be that close to the Garden District, might I suggest Pascal’s Manale at St. Charles and Napoleon.
Gyges,
Don’t forget you’re arguing with a free market anarchist. Although she uses commonly built via taxation structures like roads, water systems and the Internet, she’s not for everybody chipping in to pay for it. She’d rather private parties own (and ergo control) such social support systems. Arguing with free market anarchists is a lot like arguing with any anarchist. Which is to say, it’s like arguing with the id of the three year old. They see no value in or indeed society beyond the word “mine”.
SL, Prejean’s is a Cajun Restaurant in Lafayette. I will take your New Orleans suggestion. Daughter will be living three blocks from Commanders Palace.
Gyges,
To clarify my position, all government spending is bad. So to me saying tax evasion is heroic contains no internal contradiction at all. To address your point about deficit spending though, you act as if expanding government has nothing to do with creating deficits and its simply a matter of people not paying their “fair share”. Why is it that not ponying up for unfunded government programs makes you a degenrate, but creating those programs and then expecting everyone else to pay for them makes you a hero?
Ekerya,
So to sum up: Deficit spending is bad. Taking actions that necessarily lead to an increase in deficit spending is heroic.
Because that’s what you get when you add your last comment and “tax evasion is heroic” together.
I’ve never said that more taxes would solve all problems. I just said that when you’re looking at an equation that X>Y and you want X=Y increasing Y and Decreasing X will both help, and decreasing Y or increasing X will both hinder.
Stamford,
Right, because you chose to address the two sentences directed at you and not the three paragraphs of ideas that preceded it.
Besides that, to put in context my comment that warranted your dismissal, what exactly is not herioc about avoiding someone else using your resources to commit mass murder abroad? Would GE be heroes if they donated 50 Billion dollars to fund the upcoming libyan ground war?
eniobob,
In fact, the worst case scenario for NO probably isn’t a direct hit from a hurricane. It would probably be a hurricane pulling into Lake Pontchartrain. It would empty the lake into the city.
eniobob,
Yep. That’s the view of the river from Jackson Square or any place you can see between the buildings all long Decatur. New Orleans is built in a bowl.
The teabaggers don’t realize they have a leader … Thy Name is Stupidity …
VIDEO: Tea Partiers Clamor For A Government Shutdown; Will Boehner Cater To Their Demands?
As a government shutdown looms, President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), and House Speaker John Boehner (R) are locked in ongoing discussions over an appropriations bill that would keep the government running. However, even as Obama has offered three-quarters of what Republicans are demanding, Boehner has thus far refused to budge.
The reason for Boehner’s intransigence is increasingly clear: as Republicans and Democratic lawmakers negotiate, Boehner is giving the Tea Party veto-power. Sen. Chuck Schumer detailed this point while discussing the ongoing negotiations on Good Morning America this week, noting that “The tea party just continues to pull Speaker Boehner further back and back and back. They’re the people who say they don’t want compromise. They’re the people who say they relish a shutdown.” Still, Boehner and other Republican leaders have asserted that Democrats are the only ones who want to see a government shutdown. (A ThinkProgress compilation video shows otherwise.)
Earlier today, ThinkProgress attended a Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity rally in Washington, D.C. to investigate whether or not Tea Partiers were calling for a government shutdown. Indeed, as chants of “Shut it down! Shut it down!” and dozens of signs showed, Tea Partiers eagerly told Republican leaders that they were in no mood to compromise. ThinkProgress spoke with a number of Tea Partiers at the rally about their thoughts on a potential shutdown:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO80fwR5Hb4&w=640&h=390]
Last November, Boehner told Tea Party activists, “I’ll never let you down.” Now, the country may soon see the price of Boehner’s Tea Party loyalty: a government shutdown.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/06/tea-party-government-shutdown-boehner/
Ms. Happy,
“Stamford,
Must be nice to dismiss people you disagree with out of hand. Saves you from having to do all that messy thinking.”
Well, put forth something worth it, and I’d do some thinking. Until then, I’ll focus my thinking efforts on statements that are worth it.
Gyges,
The problem is not the governments inability to balance a budget. The problem is that government is structured in such a way that there is absolutely no incentive for it to operate that way.
What are the benefits of deficit spending? Well to a politician, everything. Its not their money they are gambling with, if your projecct is an abject failure in everything but securing you reelection votes then of course it was worth spending billions of dollars other people dont have to keep that weapons manufacturing plant open in your district, or to build a useless public works project. Politician’s healthcare and retirement are garunteed by tax payers so why should they care that social security and medicare metatisized into crippling unfunded liabilities, theyll never have to worry about it.
What are the downsides of deficit spending to a politician? Nothing. Maybe you get a few grumbling constituents, but most people are so oblivious to whats going on that they dont care enough to find out or dont care even when they find out. Your spending millions of dollars you dont have? Who cares as long as i get my ____(public good of your choice here, library, public school, public transportation). Thats why noone wants to touch social security, its political suicide even though everyone, in support or opposition of it knows it is a fiscal timebomb. The backlash from trying to alter it in any way vastly outstrips the benefits of doing nothing and watching its expenditures swallow perpetually expanding portions of the federal budget.
I felt compelled to comment on this one for two misconceptions. The first being that we can make the world a better place if we simply confiscate more money. It has proven to be a failed idea everywhere it has been tried and in every degree it has been implemented. The second being that the government somehow is contrained on how much money it can confiscate. Im sure if the government truly wanted GE’s money they would find a way to get it regardless of tax loopholes and legal gymnastics. The only conclusion I have is that it simply didnt want GE’s money, but the fault lies not with GE but with those in charge of deciding whose money to take and what to do with it.
Stamford,
Must be nice to dismiss people you disagree with out of hand. Saves you from having to do all that messy thinking.
SL,
Evidently I have not cooked for you….We had a live in maid/housekeeper/nanny cook growing up that made some of the best…and I learned…..to cook very soulful…once chilled the grease is about a 1/4 inch thick on top….
Swarthmore,
“His favorite restaurant is Prejeans. Planning a trip to New Orleans in May.”
May I make a food suggestion? The Praline Connection on Frenchman Street … some of the best soul food I’ve ever had … mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!
A friend told me of his short stay in New Orleans back in the day,and he said he was standing on the street and noticed something moving in the corner of his eye and turned around to see a ship go by which he was looking up at.
I have never been but I see some here know New Orleans,so you would know of what he is talking about.
” New Orleans is doomed in the long term.”
Parts of Japan is fitting that description also,especially after the aftershocks today.
Buddha,
It is good to know that Chicago politics is cleaner than some places!!
Smom,
NO is still not the same. It’s somewhat better, many restaurants have returned and some new ones open. But it will never be the same as before Katrina. And if it is, it will take several generations for that scar to fade. Given our increasingly unstable weather, the half-assed job they did rebuilding the levees and the natural geography of the area, New Orleans is doomed in the long term.
Buddha, Husband used to travel there on business. His favorite restaurant is Prejeans. Have not been to Louisiana since Katrina. Planning a trip to New Orleans in May. Daughter will be working in NOLA for part of the summer.